The scandal-ridden Senate campaign of Graham Platner in Maine has come to a screeching end, after a rape allegation caused nearly every one of his Democratic allies to withdraw their support.Platner made the announcement in a video posted to social media on Wednesday."We believe that for the movement to continue, it can't be me.
And for that reason, we are suspending campaign operations," he said."This is incredibly difficult because I know that some will think it's an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not," he continued.
"We're not doing it because of the allegations.We're doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power." Democrats largely stood by Platner throughout repeated controversies — from the tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol to deleted offensive Reddit posts to a report that he sent women sexually explicit messages while married.But the red line came in the form of a Politico article on Monday, which reported that Jenny Racicot, a woman who had previously had a relationship with Platner, alleges he entered her home in 2021, intoxicated and without her permission, and sexually assaulted her.
Platner has denied the allegation, saying, "Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue."Prior to the Politico story, Racicot was included in a New York Times report featuring three women who said they once had romantic relationships with Platner and characterized Platner's behavior as "unsettling"; Racicot did not detail the rape allegation in that story.She's since described the alleged assault, and her initial reluctance to speak out to CNN.In the immediate aftermath of the Politico story, Platner cast doubt on the future of his campaign, saying in a social media video he was "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to and the goal of defeating Susan Collins."In the meantime, multiple Democra...